As the night wore on and the drinks went round, there came a time when all the others in the game laid down their hands and Gerald and the stranger were battling alone. The stranger shoved in all his chips and followed with the deed to his plantation. Gerald shoved in all his chips and laid on top of them his wallet.
夜漸漸深了,酒斟了一巡又一巡,這時其他幾個牌友都歇手了,只剩下杰拉爾德和陌生人在繼續對賭。陌生人把所有的籌碼全部押上,外加那個農場的文契。杰拉爾德也推出他的那堆籌碼,并把錢裝放在上面。
If the money it contained happened to belong to the firm of O’Hara Brothers, Gerald’s conscience was not sufficiently troubled to confess it before Mass the following morning. He knew what he wanted, and when Gerald wanted something he gained it by taking the most direct route. Moreover, such was his faith in his destiny and four deuces that he never for a moment wondered just how the money would be paid back should a higher hand be laid down across the table.
如果錢袋里裝的恰好是"奧哈拉兄弟公司"的款子,杰拉爾德第二天早晨作彌撒時也不會覺得良心不安而表示懺悔了。他懂得自己所要的是什么,而當他需要時便斷然采取最直截了當的手段來攫取它。況且,他是那樣相信自己的命運和手中的那幾張牌,所以從來就不考慮:要是桌子對面放在是一手更高的牌呢,那他將怎樣償還這筆錢呀?
“It’s no bargain you’re getting and I am glad not to have to pay more taxes on the place,” sighed the possessor of an “ace full,” as he called for pen and ink. “The big house burned a year ago and the fields are growing up in brush and seedling pine. But it’s yours.”
“你這不是靠買賣賺來的,而我呢,也樂得不用再給那地方納稅了,"陌生人嘆了口氣說,一面叫拿筆墨來。"那所大房子是一年前燒掉的,田地呢,已長滿了灌木林和小松樹。然而,這些都是你的了。”